Juvenile detention centers are in a perfect storm.

In late 2019, New York’s Raise the Age law went into effect, creating a new offender category called “adolescent offender” for 16- and 17-year-olds that committed a felony-level crime, which sent those teens to juvenile detention centers rather than adult jails.

Nearly two years later, some juvenile detention centers in New York are at capacity.

What You Need To Know

  • New York has six juvenile detention center facilities outside of New York City

  • Hillbrook in Onondaga County has been operating at or near capacity since Raise the Age went into place in 2019

  • Hillbrook is now having to undergo a $5 million expansion project to house an influx of new offenders

“Sixteen and 17-year-olds charged with felony-level offenses still start their process through the adult system, but have the opportunity to have the matters removed to family court,” said Damian Pratt, director of the Onondaga County Juvenile Justice and Detention Services.

This has increased the population in New York's juvenile detention centers and changed the way they operate day-to-day.

“We were housing predominantly 14-, 15-, 16-year-olds. Now our population is considerably older; 17- and 18-year-olds. Those youth previously were detained in the [Onondaga County] Justice Center. Now they reside with us,” said Pratt.

The leadership at Hillbrook Junvenile Detention Center facilitate programs and relationships with the youth hoping they won’t return to any detention center.

“I play cards with them, play basketball. Just be able to show my face because it has a big impact,” said Osbourne, the center's assistant director. “We try to provide as an enriching opportunity as possible. At the end of the day, it is a detention setting. I think where we really want to expand is a lot of the opportunities and programing allowed in the facility.”

Both Osbourne and Pratt add that their new challenges, aside from an increased population, are due to a trend of extended stays as more teens arrive with more serious offenses.

“I think that what we’re really struggling with now is, how we can provide the support that the residents are really in need of? Because 16- and 17-year-olds statewide are no longer able to be housed in adult facilities, it's changed the way that Hillbrook and the five other upstate facilities run. The young people that are coming to Hillbrook are here for really serious offenses, like murder in the second degree, robbery in the first degree with a firearm,” says Pratt.

Hillbrook is undergoing a $5 million expansion, growing from 32 beds to 50 to accommodate the rise in juveniles arrested for serious crimes.

Teens at Hillbrook attend classes and participate in mentorship programs. Pratt said Hillbrook had five seniors graduate high school while being incarcerated this year.

“Just by the nature of being detained and housed, that doesn’t address whatever deficiencies exist in a young person’s life,” said Pratt.